SAN DIEGO — San Diego Wave FC could not find the back of the net in their season opener against Houston, losing 1-0 to the Dash at Snapdragon Stadium. Despite generating many offensive opportunities, the Wave could not find the equalizer.
Former Wave forward Makenzy Robbe scored in the final moments of the first half, which proved to be the game-winner. Houston was content with the lead and essentially parked the bus to secure the three points. The Wave attack had 19 shots (nine of them on goal), 14 corner kicks, and held possession for 70.5% of the 90 minutes.
Houston's goalkeeper, Jane Campbell , was incredible tonight with nine saves. Kenza Dali , Wave co-captain and midfielder, said Campbell was the player of the match tonight.
"I think there are details here that can make a huge difference," Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall said postgame. "We could have created more chances. I think we could have been even more aggressive in the attacking box when those chances arrived."
Since joining the NWSL, San Diego has reached the postseason in three out of its four seasons. Tonight, the fans in attendance received a commemorative towel to celebrate the start of their fifth season. This also marked the beginning of Eidevall's second campaign as head coach.
The Wave won 10 games in the 2025 season, reaching the quarterfinals, but were eliminated by the Portland Thorns in extra time.
DiDi Haracic got the first start in goal for San Diego. The Wave attack featured three Brazilians with Ludmila, Dudinha , and Gabi Portilho . Dali, Laurina Fazer , and Gia Corley headlined the middle. Kristen McNabb and Kennedy Wesley were the starting center backs, with Perle Morroni and Amelia Van Zanten on the perimeter.
Houston is coming off a disappointing season in which it won just six matches. However, they did win five matches in the second half of the year, and hope to carry that momentum. During the offseason, they added eight new players to the roster and are returning their top-three goal scorers: Yazmeen Ryan, Avery Patterson , and Maggie Graham.
Entering the match, San Diego held a 5-2-1 record over the Dash.
As the ball began to roll on the 2026 NWSL season, San Diego was in control of the slow start. The first scoring opportunity came in the 9th minute of the match. Campbell, Houston's captain, blocked Dudinha's dangerous shot, and Malia Berkley had a goal-line clearance.
Three minutes later, Ludmila's shot from the side of the box sailed over the top right corner. San Diego's top two attackers were active early.
Haracic was tested early, and she responded with a big-time save. Houston's Linda Ullmark had two opportunities inside the box, one of which hit the left post, and the other was blocked. Kate Faasse had a point-blank opportunity, but Haracic stood strong in front of the net to deny the shot.
An elite defensive play.
San Diego dictated the pace of the first half with 67.3% possession and four shots on goal. The backline was holding up strong until the final moments before the break—a play that decided the outcome.
Houston's Maggie Graham jump-started a fast break and completed a very long pass to a sprinting Robbe. The placement of the pass could not be any better. Robbe's sliding kick rolled past Haracic and into the bottom left corner.
"Of course, we didn't want to concede the goal, but we can't think about the past too much," Eidevall said about his message to the team at halftime. "We have to think about the future and the next action."
When asked about the goal, Wesley said the team needs to be more organized as a collective, and they knew Houston wanted to play direct and behind—"It's a matter of watching it, learning from it, and being better going forward."
The coach also mentioned how the backline lost its organization a few times, and that can't happen in a "league of small margins." These things tend to happen early in the season.
Dali told her teammates at the break that they were playing really well and were the better team. She said that they needed to be "more aggressive in the box."
In the second half, San Diego was very active in the attacking third, but Houston became more compact defensively to protect its lead. Campbell had a busy night protecting the net.
Ludmila had several goal-scoring opportunities in the 63rd, 74th, and 79th minutes but was unable to score her first goal for her new club. Last season, she scored 10 goals with Chicago, and she will likely find the net soon enough in San Diego.
Campbell had an outstanding save in the 76th minute, in which she blocked Lia Godfrey's shot attempt with her feet. She was the catalyst for earning those three points on the road. Sofascore rated her performance as a 9.7/10, and she was by far the highest graded player Saturday night.
Houston subbed in Kiki van Zanten in the 82nd minute. Her sister, Amelia, started at the right-back position, but left with an injury just before halftime—a special moment for the siblings.
"In this game, we wanted to do our very best performance, but it's a long season," Eidevall said. "You always have to be ready to go again. There are learnings from this game—and there would have been learnings from this game if we had won."
San Diego will play its first away game of the season against the Utah Royals on Sunday, March 22, at 4 p.m.
